William P. Doyle, CEO & Executive Director of the Dredging Contractors of America participated in a “Day of Thank You to the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate for the Jones Act.” Doyle as a representative of management for the maritime industry joined labor leaders on April 17 thanking Congress and the Trump Administration for their support of the U.S. Maritime industry.
On April 17 in Washington, D.C., Jimmy Hart, President of The Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO, Dan Duncan, Secretary-Treasurer of The Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO , and their members joined together to call on members of Congress to renew their support of The Jones Act.
With the Capital building setting the stage, members of both organizations pointed to the benefits of the language included in the Merchant Marine Act of 1920. The Jones Act regulates maritime commerce in the United States by requiring goods shipped between U.S. ports to be transported on ships that are built, owned, flagged, and operated by U.S. citizens or permanent residents. The law contributes nearly $100 billion annually to the national economy.
Union members in attendance shared the same bottom line: The Jones Act is necessary to protect 500,000 good-paying American jobs and the country’s national security.
The Dredging sector of the Jones Ac t is a huge part of America’s success. The U.S.-Flag dredging industry is the foundation to economic prosperity in the United States. Ships visit the U.S. from all over the world, and we are becoming a natural gas exporting nation. Larger ships now more than ever visit our ports as a result of the expanded Panama and Suez Canals. None of these ships would be able to dock in America but for the important work that dredging companies do to deepen and maintain our harbors, channels, ports, and inland waterways.
“There has been a wave of misinformation told about The Jones Act. The elimination of this important law would be detrimental to the American economy and the safety of its residents. Keeping shipyards busy is vital to protecting the highly skilled labor jobs held by metal trades workers and encourages investments in the infrastructure needed to build and maintain military vessels used for national defense. We cannot fail these working families who depend on us to make sure their quality of life remains intact,” said Jimmy Hart, President of The Metal Trades Department.
“Our industry and our members will never stop promoting the truth: The Jones Act keeps our country strong by supporting good paying jobs on both land and sea. The Act is an essential component of protecting our nation’s national security. Flawed accusations have been used as a foundation to call for the weakening or elimination of the law. There is ample supply of Jones Act qualified vessels to reach every U.S. port. This is a critical maritime law that promotes industrial investment and skilled training that helps to support our national economy and defense,” said Dan W. Duncan, Secretary-Treasurer of The Maritime Trades Department.
“My sector commands American built, owned, operated, and crewed dredging vessels. My dredging companies spend billions of dollars in the United States recapitalizing their fleets in U.S. shipyards and purchasing U.S. equipment. And they employ and provide benefits for thousands of hard working American families,” said William P. Doyle, CEO & Executive Director of the Dredging Contractors of America. “Dredging companies, shipbuilders and their mariners are true patriots.”
